1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a wireless station and a method for selecting an access point apparatus using the wireless station, and more particularly to a method for selecting, by a wireless station within a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), an access point apparatus, and a wireless station which implements this method.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has hitherto been known that in selecting an optimum access point from among a plurality of access point apparatuses, a wireless station in a wireless LAN system selects an access point apparatus generating a highest signal strength by use of received signal strength indicator of a radio wave generated by an access point apparatus.
However, even when an access point apparatus having a highest received signal strength indicator is selected, since interferences occur between the plurality of access point apparatuses, an optimum access point apparatus is not always selected. Specifically, because a radio wave generated by an access point apparatus has a predetermined frequency bandwidth, when the center frequencies of radio waves generated by the plurality of access point apparatuses are close to each other, the frequency bandwidths overlaps. Consequently, interferences occur.
It is known that when such interferences between a plurality of access point apparatuses are detected by a computer (a radio station), the presence of the interferences (the presence of channel occupancy by a noise) is displayed in a display section of the computer (Patent Document 1—Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-093616).
According to Patent Document 1, when it is determined that channel occupancy by a noise has been in progress for a predetermined time period, a display is given in the display section of the computer to notify an administrator that the channel occupancy is caused by a noise.
However, the invention of Patent Document 1 is limited to displaying of interference detection by a radio station and notifying it to an administrator. Consequently, an optimum access point apparatus cannot be selected. Specifically, the wireless station only evaluates the extent of interference with respect to a firstly-connected access point apparatus, and cannot carry out an evaluation to identify an optimum access point apparatus for the wireless station.